State Representative
Betsy Coffia
Traverse City | 103rd House District
Serving 93,426 constituents in Acme Township, East Bay Township, Traverse City, Peninsula Township, Garfield Township, Long Lake Township, Almira Township, Platte Township, Empire Township, Glen Arbor Township, Cleveland Township, Kasson Township, Solon Township, Elmwood Township, Bingham Township, Centerville Township, Leland Township, Suttons Bay Township, Leelanau Township
[email protected]
(517) 373-3817
Office: S-1387 House Office Building
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Betsy Coffia
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Betsy Coffia
Please read this letter from two grandmothers in my district.
Letter to the Editor, Traverse City Record-Eagle, 6/13/26--One of countless tragedies now occurring in our country:
On June 6, we two, grandmothers from Leelanau County, drove to The GEO Group’s North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin.
We had signed up to visit a detainee there. He is a 26-year old male who immigrated from Venezuela four years ago. He lived in Shelby Township and, for three years, he worked at a company making car seats.
Two months ago, he was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He has not received due process or seen a lawyer. He has no criminal record, not even a parking ticket. His employer gave him two letters of recommendation vouching for his character and skilled work ethic.
His wife, who is 23 years old, is 8 months pregnant with their first child. He has not seen her for two months and doesn’t think he will be allowed to be at the birth or see his new baby girl.
He receives only two hours a week outside. He was a champion soccer player. He is responsible for his wife, his mother, and sends money to his father and grandfather in Venezuela for food. He is Catholic, respectful, and has no business being held for deportation.
We felt very intimidated and depressed; and we got to leave.
Barbara Schneider and BJ Christensen Leelanau County
22 CommentsComment on Facebook
Cc Governor Gretchen Whitmer Sam Altman, and DTE CEO Jerry Norcia.
Your back yards first. We will wait.
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.2 CommentsComment on Facebook
LIVE NOW: Join me and my Democratic colleagues as we expand on the Ratepayer Bill of Rights to bring down utility costs and protect ratepayers.
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
As a former small town reporter and newspaper editor this hits especially hard. There is no democracy without the free press.
I urge my fellow Americans who treasure the First Amendment to the Constitution, to pause and let 60 Minutes veteran Scott Pelley’s words sink in deeply.
Then do all you can to support real journalism and our freedom of the press.
www.facebook.com/share/r/1JY8iYnBvr/?mibextid=wwXIfr
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
I grew up in a tiny town much like this one. I remember my sister, a young migrant clinic nurse, working with the Hispanic families who tended all the farms and orchards in the region. I remember her befriending and bringing to church a shy young migrant worker named Edgar, who spoke no English. Barely out of his teens. My church embraced him. I believe in our ability to dig deep and remember liberty and justice for all means ALL and that loving our neighbors as ourselves means ALL our neighbors.
I believe in us America. Let’s remember who we can be at our best, like this tiny Montana town did. ♥️🇺🇸
www.facebook.com/share/v/18jdKyWYCK/?mibextid=wwXIfr
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
🌈 Pride Month reminds us that dignity, love, and humanity belong to everyone.
Throughout her life, Dr. Maya Angelou firmly believed that our shared humanity is stronger than the things that divide us. Pride Month is not only a celebration of identity but also a reminder that freedom means being fully seen, fully loved, and fully respected.
As we honor LGBTQ+ voices, stories, and lives this month, we are reminded of Dr. Angelou’s timeless words: “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”
May we continue building a world rooted in compassion, courage, and belonging for everyone.
How do you practice love, dignity, and inclusion in your daily life? 🌈✨
#PrideMonth #MayaAngelou #WeAreMoreAlike
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
I was honored to join this round table, hosted by Michigan Department of Attorney General Dana Nessel, along with colleagues State Representative Erin Byrnes and Representative Carrie Rheingans. The three of us came in during the first Democratic trifecta in 40 years, Rep. Byrnes serving as ethics chair during that time. We worked with the AG to build ethics and transparency policies that somehow were not allowed to become law despite wild popularity outside the Lansing bubble. And, we have taken many lessons from what did and didn’t move in trifecta, and this term with a Republican House, Democratic Senate and Dem Governor, and why. We’ve been in the trenches for going on two terms and seen a lot about what’s broken in Lansing, no more emblematic than a $6000 “policy conference “ on an island that the vast majority of 10 million Michiganders couldn’t afford to attend, and even trying to talk to a legislator or protesting outside requires paying a ferry ride to get there because it’s on an island.
The thing is … We are in increasingly difficult and chaotic times in the nation and globe as a whole and Michigan is not exempt. States are often called laboratories of democracy and I point out that right now the lab laboratory in the Mitten state has black paper on the windows and a lot of busted up equipment inside and it needs to be cleaned up stat. Michiganders deserve fully transparent and accountable leaders and a robust state government that delivers excellent public services and is also transparent and accountable especially now when the federal chaos is hitting home with loss of healthcare, unregulated AI, tariffs and corporate greed rampant and squeezing the families of our state. We clearly have work to do. The political will is essential if we are to deliver the results our communities need.
I hope you’ll read this piece and view the entire round table here:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=pv2RJ8TZ4vg&pp=0gcJCVMCo7VqN5tD
michiganadvance.com
Michigan Dems: Whitmer should use her power to fix Lansing’s broken, greased-palm political culture2 CommentsComment on Facebook
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Betsy Coffia IN THE NEWS
Price, Fellow Democrats Introduce Utility Affordability, Ratepayer Protection Legislation
State Reps. Natalie Price (D-Berkley), Erin Byrnes (D-Dearborn) and Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) at the Utility Affordability Now Press Conference, [...]
Democratic Lawmakers Demand Michigan House Speaker, Republicans for Immediate Investigation into Epstein and Those Implicated
LANSING, Mich., May 19, 2025 — Today, state Reps. Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing) and Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) hosted a [...]
Coffia Delivers Senate Testimony in Support of Affordable Child Care
Coffia Delivers Senate Testimony in Support of Expanding Affordable, Quality Child Care State Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) and [...]
Please read this letter from two grandmothers in my district.
Letter to the Editor, Traverse City Record-Eagle, 6/13/26--One of countless tragedies now occurring in our country:
On June 6, we two, grandmothers from Leelanau County, drove to The GEO Group’s North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin.
We had signed up to visit a detainee there. He is a 26-year old male who immigrated from Venezuela four years ago. He lived in Shelby Township and, for three years, he worked at a company making car seats.
Two months ago, he was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He has not received due process or seen a lawyer. He has no criminal record, not even a parking ticket. His employer gave him two letters of recommendation vouching for his character and skilled work ethic.
His wife, who is 23 years old, is 8 months pregnant with their first child. He has not seen her for two months and doesn’t think he will be allowed to be at the birth or see his new baby girl.
He receives only two hours a week outside. He was a champion soccer player. He is responsible for his wife, his mother, and sends money to his father and grandfather in Venezuela for food. He is Catholic, respectful, and has no business being held for deportation.
We felt very intimidated and depressed; and we got to leave.
Barbara Schneider and BJ Christensen Leelanau County ... See MoreSee Less
22 CommentsComment on Facebook
Cc Governor Gretchen Whitmer Sam Altman, and DTE CEO Jerry Norcia.
Your back yards first. We will wait. ... See MoreSee Less
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
... See MoreSee Less
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.2 CommentsComment on Facebook
LIVE NOW: Join me and my Democratic colleagues as we expand on the Ratepayer Bill of Rights to bring down utility costs and protect ratepayers. ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
As a former small town reporter and newspaper editor this hits especially hard. There is no democracy without the free press.
I urge my fellow Americans who treasure the First Amendment to the Constitution, to pause and let 60 Minutes veteran Scott Pelley’s words sink in deeply.
Then do all you can to support real journalism and our freedom of the press.
www.facebook.com/share/r/1JY8iYnBvr/?mibextid=wwXIfr ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
I grew up in a tiny town much like this one. I remember my sister, a young migrant clinic nurse, working with the Hispanic families who tended all the farms and orchards in the region. I remember her befriending and bringing to church a shy young migrant worker named Edgar, who spoke no English. Barely out of his teens. My church embraced him. I believe in our ability to dig deep and remember liberty and justice for all means ALL and that loving our neighbors as ourselves means ALL our neighbors.
I believe in us America. Let’s remember who we can be at our best, like this tiny Montana town did. ♥️🇺🇸
www.facebook.com/share/v/18jdKyWYCK/?mibextid=wwXIfr ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
Happy Pride Month, y’all. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🫶 ... See MoreSee Less
11 CommentsComment on Facebook
🌈 Pride Month reminds us that dignity, love, and humanity belong to everyone.
Throughout her life, Dr. Maya Angelou firmly believed that our shared humanity is stronger than the things that divide us. Pride Month is not only a celebration of identity but also a reminder that freedom means being fully seen, fully loved, and fully respected.
As we honor LGBTQ+ voices, stories, and lives this month, we are reminded of Dr. Angelou’s timeless words: “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”
May we continue building a world rooted in compassion, courage, and belonging for everyone.
How do you practice love, dignity, and inclusion in your daily life? 🌈✨
#PrideMonth #MayaAngelou #WeAreMoreAlike ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
I was honored to join this round table, hosted by Michigan Department of Attorney General Dana Nessel, along with colleagues State Representative Erin Byrnes and Representative Carrie Rheingans. The three of us came in during the first Democratic trifecta in 40 years, Rep. Byrnes serving as ethics chair during that time. We worked with the AG to build ethics and transparency policies that somehow were not allowed to become law despite wild popularity outside the Lansing bubble. And, we have taken many lessons from what did and didn’t move in trifecta, and this term with a Republican House, Democratic Senate and Dem Governor, and why. We’ve been in the trenches for going on two terms and seen a lot about what’s broken in Lansing, no more emblematic than a $6000 “policy conference “ on an island that the vast majority of 10 million Michiganders couldn’t afford to attend, and even trying to talk to a legislator or protesting outside requires paying a ferry ride to get there because it’s on an island.
The thing is … We are in increasingly difficult and chaotic times in the nation and globe as a whole and Michigan is not exempt. States are often called laboratories of democracy and I point out that right now the lab laboratory in the Mitten state has black paper on the windows and a lot of busted up equipment inside and it needs to be cleaned up stat. Michiganders deserve fully transparent and accountable leaders and a robust state government that delivers excellent public services and is also transparent and accountable especially now when the federal chaos is hitting home with loss of healthcare, unregulated AI, tariffs and corporate greed rampant and squeezing the families of our state. We clearly have work to do. The political will is essential if we are to deliver the results our communities need.
I hope you’ll read this piece and view the entire round table here:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=pv2RJ8TZ4vg&pp=0gcJCVMCo7VqN5tD ... See MoreSee Less
Nessel, Michigan Dems push Whitmer to confront Lansing’s 'quid pro quo' political culture • Michigan Advance
michiganadvance.com
Michigan Dems: Whitmer should use her power to fix Lansing’s broken, greased-palm political culture2 CommentsComment on Facebook